Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"
Like the brightness of a lightning bolt unexpectedly piercing the midnight sky, the cry of Jesus upon the cross broke the silence of darkness that day. A cross, made by the hands of man, upon which Jesus hung by crude nails, also made by the hands of man, and beaten beyond recognition – by the hands of man. For six hours, Jesus Christ hung upon that cross for you and me; all because God demanded the payment of a living sacrifice for the sins of mankind.
But the cry of Jesus Christ was a cry that echoed through the annuals of history, reminding us of the immense value God places upon His creation, and the sacrificial cost necessary to save it. Reminding us too, that the author of Hebrews was correct when he stated: "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin." It is interesting that the Greek word for tempted also means to be "put to the test," and truly Jesus Christ had faced the ultimate test – without denouncing his heavenly father.
But without that cry from Jesus' lips, you and I would never have truly realized the feelings of abandonment Jesus felt that day. We know of His anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane as he prayed in Luke 22:44, when his sweat became as great drops of blood. But Jesus' cry upon the cross reveals the pain of total sacrifice endured that day, and this sacrifice was:
A Sacrifice That Had Been Foreknown
As Peter said in Acts 2:22-23, "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know--this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.
You see, before the foundation of the world God had a plan to redeem His people. But this was not only a sacrifice that had been foreknown, it was:
A Sacrifice That Had Been Foretold
Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 26:2, "Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified."
And at the Last Supper, Jesus said in Matt 26:28, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."
You see, Jesus knew the fate awaiting Him, and he shared with his disciples what the prophets had already foretold. Yes, the sacrifice of Jesus was foretold, but also the sacrifice of the Son of God that day, was:
A Sacrifice That Brought Forgiveness
In Colossians 1:14, we're told: "in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
Jesus' words were not only heard on that day, but many can still feel those same words echoing in their own lives today as they endure suffering in a world plagued by sin and selfishness.
Just like the two friends I visited with this past week, whose families had been taken from them by the devastation of divorce. Like others, who have lost loved ones, and endured colossal trials, wondering where God was when darkness engulfed their worlds.
But the cry from Jesus' lips on Calvary also reminds us that death was not victorious that day. That no matter how dark our days may become, the hope of Jesus Christ can still split the darkest hour of our lives; bringing us into a presence that still changes and molds a willing vessel today.
And just as Jesus, after He rose from the dead, told Cleopas and his friend on the way to Emmaus in Luke 24:26, "Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?" May you and I be reminded to hold fast to the faith today, even when we may feel as though God has forsaken us, that we too may be changed, "from glory to glory," and enter God's presence at the end of life's journey.
